Adventures of the Spore Kids 1Noriko's New Life
by Jlgjt
Summary: First in the Adventures of the Spore Kids series, covers Noriko. Concept partly inspired by the Change One Thing YouTube video
1. Part 1

**Adventures of the Spore Kids**

**Episode 1: Noriko's New Life**

**Part 1**

Author's Notes: This is the first in the series, and this covers the well-known Noriko. Punimon was the baby Digimon partner given to Noriko in "Million Points of Light". Keiko, Takashi and Hiroshi were the other three Spore Kids who shared their dreams in "Million Points of Light." Enjoy!

Date: 1/16/2004

Time: 4:00 pm

Place: Noriko's home, her room

Noriko looked over half-interested at her Punimon partner. It was that she didn't like him (in fact, she had an endless amount of curiosity about him), but the fact of the matter was other things were on her mind.

Over the past few weeks, she had to get used to the fact that 2004 was going to be very different for her. It had seemed to offer her the chance to live a normal life without fear of getting germs from other kids, but the Dark Spore had taken its toll, both physically and mentally. She also was disoriented, having to live with Punimon and take care of him. She was facing unique challenges and she thought that the other kids, the ones that had beaten MaloMyotismon, would have offered them assistance, but there had been little contact over the past couple weeks.

In addition, she was agonizing over the fact that the Spore had bloomed early in **her** and not someone else. She knew that thing was a tool of a devil, but the fact that she could've died because of the power drained from her and the fact that she nearly missed that battle made her particularly angry.

Nevertheless, she was still wondering why the other kids hadn't contacted them yet. Were they really going to be left to sink or swim by themselves? She didn't want to believe that, but the longer without contact they went, the more that seemed to be true...

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"Something wrong, Noriko?" Punimon asked.

Noriko turned to look over where her new Digimon partner was. She sighed and said, "I don't know... I'm just wondering why the other kids haven't contacted yet. I hope they aren't leaving us to work this out on our own."

"Why would they do that?" Punimon replied.

"That's what I'm wondering right now. I just wish I could get an answer one way or the other. I also want to make up to Ken about what I said to him... I know it was the Spore, but I still feel awful about it."

"Is there someway I could help?"

"Well... not going all over the floor would be nice. You've been doing that a lot. I don't want to be picking up after you, and Mom doesn't like it at all."

"But I'm trying, I really am!"

"I know you are..."

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"Hey, Noriko, could you come look at this please?" she heard her mom call from the main room. "There are emails addressed to you, and one of them is from Ken."

An interested Noriko rushed out of the room, Punimon bouncing along behind her in trying to catch up. Noriko found her mother sitting at the computer, looking at the screen in a perplexed manner.

"What's up?" Noriko asked.

"Well, I was getting the email, and these two messages with a high priority came up. Both of them have your name in the title and one of them also says its from Ken Ichijouji. I called you over because I think you are supposed to read them."

Noriko looked taken aback and a bit suspicious, but nevertheless curiosity compelled her to open the first email, titled "Urgent Message to Noriko and the Other Victims, From Ken". Punimon hopped up onto the computer desk as Noriko began to read the first email:

I didn't think writing this would be easy. Indeed, I'm trying to avoid choking up as I am typing these very words to all of you...

"That voice! I still hear it in my nightmares... Myotismon!" Who knew one sentence could bring so much pain and suffering to so many. I wish that there was something I could say or do that would make all this just go away... but there isn't, so I will say what I can: **you have not been forgotten**.

Every one of us, your new comrades, understand you are scared, confused, hurt and probably wondering why you have not gotten help from us. We are understand you are grieving, but we have had to deal with our own hurts.

You know as well as I do what happened with Oikawa: he was so desperate to go to the Digiworld that he did not know who he had made a deal with until it was far too late. The consequences of that horrible decision have been tremendous. I myself almost lost everything to Myotismon.

Remember those months I was away from home? Myotismon influenced me to run away through the Spore. Through the spore he made me do... many horrible, cruel things, things that brought nothing but misery and hurt to Digimon and the Digiworld. After being made to realize what I had done, I went through nothing but agony and sorrow when I saw how cruel I had been. Seeing that it was Myotismon that had been responsible ripped straight through me, and even now there are times when all I want to do is just lay on my bed and cry my heart out for all I lost to him: my fame, my innocence, my self-respect. The Ken that once graced newspaper headlines is gone, thanks to him.

I am angry, angry not just at what he did to me and through me but what he did to you, and to other innocents. Myotismon is finally gone, but not before leaving a "trail of tears" that will last far longer. We are all victims; I am a victim, you are victims, even Oikawa was a victim, for he did not know what he was doing and you saw that he was sorry for letting the monster called MaloMyotismon control him.

I cannot claim to cure you of the influence of the Spores or the scars of this tragedy, for I can't even cure myself. Instead, I have asked the other kids to help all of you in fulfilling all those dreams that you helped put MaloMyotismon down with. Starting tomorrow after school, I want all of you to come to a short evening meeting with us. Attached is a map with directions to the meeting place. I encourage everyone to come.

I hope this can help start the new year on a better foot, and maybe even be helpful in dealing with the pain and confusion. Please also read the email by Hikari Kamiya, another one of your new Digidestined comrades, which should be sent out shortly after this one. There are things she wants to talk to you about as well, things that I could not put here.

Please be there promptly at 7:00pm, with your Digimon partner. See you all tomorrow night.

-Ken Ichijouji

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Noriko and her mom looked at each other with puzzlement.

"What does this mean, Noriko?" Punimon asked.

"I wish I knew, Punimon..." Noriko replied as she got the attachment onto her mom's computer and then opened the second email.

This email, titled "From Hikari to the Victims of the spores", went as follows:

To all those kids that had the spores implanted in them:

Please understand that we all are very upset over what happened to you and that we do want to help you, but you must understand that this is bigger than what happened to you, much bigger. Like Ken, I have been ripped into because of what happened that day. I do not share his guilt, but I do share in his hurt, for I am very close to someone else who has been deeply hurt as well.

I encourage each one of you to look at the two pictures I have attached to this message. I take pictures as a hobby, and you may or may not recognize me from the pictures, but be assured that I will be at the meeting Ken has set up.

The second picture includes me with my partner Digimon, Gatomon. She was the one that first recognized that it was Myotismon (the line Ken quoted in his message was spoken by her), and sadly, Myotismon calling her an "old pet" is far more true than even I would like to think. There is a story concerning that very thing, but even now she is far too sensitized to tell it yet, so I cannot put it here, but you will hear it eventually, and straight from her no less!

Please do come to the meeting; we have no intention of abandoning you, but you must understand how deep the pain runs amongst all of us. We have been looking at our own hurts, wanting to heal ourselves first before we could be strong enough to help you. But now we see that we can no longer ignore you or your problems. Please understand why we have not contacted you sooner, and please come tomorrow. We do want to help you; don't turn away from us now please.

-Kari Kamiya

Noriko looked over at her mother with a shrug of her shoulders. "Would I be allowed to go to the meeting?" she asked her mom.

"Well, I don't see why not..." Mom replied as she clicked the attachments to download them.

"Can we see the pictures?" Noriko asked again.

"They're still downloading... OK, they're on the desktop. Just open them up if you want to see them."

"OK... let's see..." Noriko said as she took the mouse and opened the first picture. This picture simply showed Kari, apparently taken shortly after the battle as the dark-colored cliffs that had surrounded part of the battlefield were seen in the background. Kari was looking somber, even downcast.

Noriko looked at the picture for a few seconds before suddenly exclaiming "Hey, I think I remember her. You know the guy with big hair, the kinda leader guy who got me to the battle? He talked with her a lot afterward. I think she's his sister or something like that because they went off together."

"Well, it could be that they are just close friends." Mom commented. "But I think you maybe right about it being a sister of one of the kids that helped you."

Noriko closed that picture and then opened the other one. In it, it showed what Noriko guessed was the partner Digimon looking very depressed in front of the same dark-colored cliffs as in the other picture. "That's a pretty cat... is it really her Digimon partner?" Noriko commented. "She looks so sad... I kinda guess it's like how I feel about it too..."

"Do you think you are going to ask her about it when you go over?" Punimon suddenly spoke up.

Noriko turned to look at her partner, then said "I don't know if I should. If this is as sensitive as the message says it is, then I don't want to be upsetting her..."

"Well, it might do you good to ask Kari first before you ask her." Mom added. "But the bigger question is are you going to go tomorrow night?"

Noriko smiled and said "Yes, I want to. If they will really help me and the others out, then I'm not going to say no."

"Good enough then." Mom said. "Let me just make sure to pencil this in so that neither of us forget." She went back into the kitchen area.

Noriko turned and smiled at Punimon. Maybe things would begin to turn a corner after all...

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Date: 1/17/2004

Time: 7:00 pm

At the meeting place...

"Have fun, dear!" Noriko's mom called after her as she carried Punimon into the building.

"I know Mom. I'll call from the cell phone when everything's done!" Noriko said.

Noriko hurried into the building and opened the door leading inside. There she found most of the other kids, as well as the older Digidestined, had already gathered inside. She quietly stepped inside, shyly waving at the other nearby kids.

One of them noticed and immediately exclaimed "Hey, look, it's Noriko!" She was quickly mobbed by the other kids asking uncomfortable questions about her experience: "Hey Noriko, what was going on inside of your head?", "Did a flower **really** grow out of the top of your head?", "Did you think you were going to die?", "Did you faint?", "Was Oikawa really as scary as you said, Noriko?", questions along those lines.

Among the pelting of questions, Noriko felt alone. She didn't want to talk about it, and she felt the others were being insensitive in asking the questions. Quickly, however, one of the older Digidestined intervened. "Hey, don't pelt her with questions! She just got in, and she probably doesn't want to talk about the Spore anyway." he stated. As the other kids reluctantly went away in disappointment, Noriko turned to see that it had been Ken that had shooed them away. He approached Noriko.

She blushed; she thought it awkward meeting Ken again. "Um... thanks?" she managed to quietly say.

"You're welcome." Ken stated, but seeing Noriko's red cheeks made him think that she was feeling awkward for what she had said earlier.

"Yeah... um..." Noriko began. This was feeling awkward in every sense of the word, and Noriko wanted to be out of the situation and moving on to something more enjoyable.

"I know, I know, you're probably feeling embarrassed about what you said. But, and I wish this wasn't true, there would have been a time where I would have said the exact same things you did." Ken replied.

"Well, I guess, but you were a celebrity." Noriko pointed out, feeling better now that a conversation was actually going. "You couldn't have been allowed to say such things."

"There were many things I did outside of the view of the press, many of which to my shame." Ken frankly stated.

"Oh... yeah, I guess... that was the stuff you said in the letter you sent all of us."

"Sadly, yes."

"Oh, well, uh... what am I supposed to do now?"

"Well, there are various displays telling more about myself and the others you saw fighting. Why don't you start by looking around at those?"

Noriko's eyes lit up. She said thank-you before rushing off to look around for the displays...

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She and Punimon eagerly spent the next 15 minutes looking around at displays, learning as much as they could about those they would call mentors and new friends: Sora's tennis participation, Joe's desire to become a doctor, Cody's kendo lessons with his grandpa, and a dozen other interesting factoids which made them want to be a part of such an interesting group. Noriko also tried to talk with the other kids who were looking at the same display, but usually they weren't interested in talking or asked her a question about the Spore, which of course she did not want to answer and ended the conversation there.

Noriko eventually made her way around to the display she instantly guessed was Kari's. Sure enough, the top of the poster was the name Hikari Kamiya. Noriko and Punimon looked in fascination at the many pictures attached to the poster: some were simple shots of daily activities, others were portrait shots at various ages, others showed Gatomon in various moods and poses, yet others showing what was labeled as the Digital World... a veritable collage of pictures, all surrounded by various photography-related clip art.

Noriko immediately guessed that Kari's hobby was photography, and was going to look at the "statistics box" put up by the display when she heard a voice from behind her, coming in over the quiet background noise of chatting, asking if she liked the poster. She turned around to face none other than Kari herself, holding Gatomon in her arms.

"Have you been looking for me?" Kari asked with a smirk.

"Well... not really. I've been looking at the displays..." Noriko quietly replied. It was true that she had been hoping to meet Kari so that they could talk about working together on the common dream of being teachers, but it was not something that Noriko had been thinking much about, particularly now...

"Have you and Punimon made any new friends?" Kari asked.

"No." Noriko sadly answered. "All the kids I've talked to are either too interested in the posters or asked me about what happened with my spore. Don't they understand I don't want to talk about it?!"

"Well, I don't blame them for being curious, but they shouldn't be asking you those questions. There are some things that aren't worth the pain of bringing up, just ask Gatomon." Kari stated, looking down at Gatomon as she said this.

"Yeah, but there's something else too. Everyone told me that the flower came out of the top of my head, but when I got X-rayed after the flower was absorbed, there was no hole in my skull nor anything that shows the flower even grew through my head in the first place. I'm really confused, and I don't know what to say to the other kids."

"Hmm, that is a problem." Kari pondered. After a minute of thinking, she continued with, "Tell you what. You tell **us** what you want to say, and then we'll pass it along in an email to the other kids, so that they won't bother you about it, OK?"

"Sure, OK." Noriko said, smiling in relief.

There was a couple seconds pause as Noriko quickly looked over Gatomon. The Digimon took the look over with a little smile, and when Noriko was done she said to Kari "You have a very pretty partner. I wish I could have a partner as pretty as she is."

Gatomon flushed at the flattery, but Punimon complained, squirming in Noriko's grip: "Hey, I'm cute, aren't I? Why don't you like me?"

Noriko looked down and replied with a sincere tone of voice "Of course I like you. It's just you aren't neat the same way she is, that's all."

"But you can't choose who you're partnered with, you know that!"

"Punimon's right, you can't choose your partner, Noriko." Kari stated through a chuckle. "Still...that's not a bad thing." Kari squeezed Gatomon as she said this. Noriko wondered why all the affection, then realized it probably had something to do with that personal story, so she kept quiet and didn't ask anything...

"If you're looking for someone who will give you an idea of what you're Digimon will become, I suggest you go find Matt, over there." Kari added, pointing over in the direction where Matt was sitting, playing some guitar for a couple other kids.

"OK, sure." Noriko said. "Thanks!"

"Anytime."

Noriko rushed to where Matt was sitting and playing the guitar...

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She joined the crowd, sitting down beside a younger boy as she listened to Matt's playing. When the song was finished, she clapped with the others while Punimon and the other Digimon bounced up and down for joy.

The boy beside Noriko asked, "Wow! Are you really the super-duper rock star everyone says you are?"

Matt replied, "Well, I suppose. The concerts are always well attended, that's for sure..." He trailed off, then noticed Noriko sitting in front of him.

He looked down specifically at Noriko and said hello to her. "Did someone send you over here?" he asked her.

"Kari did." Noriko shyly replied, pointing in the general direction where Kari had been when Noriko went over to Matt.

"Oh, well it's a good thing she did. It's important you get in contact with a person who knows what your Digimon will 'grow up' to be."

"'Grow up'? You mean like with humans?" Noriko asked.

"Sure. Only Digimon don't just get bigger when they change, they can look completely different."

"OK... I guess. Though, why was I sent to you?"

"Apparently, the Punimon you have as a partner will eventually grow up into the Digimon I have as a partner. It may take a long time, but it's important you get a preview of what to expect, so I figure let's start with you meeting Gabumon over here." Gabumon, who had been standing beside Matt, smiled and waved at Noriko.

She looked back and forth between Gabumon and her Punimon, wondering how in the world Punimon could ever look like that. She flashed a confused look at Matt.

Matt chuckled and said, "I figured I would get that look. Digimon are weird like that. But you really need to talk to Gabumon in order to get a better idea of what Digimon you will eventually have."

Noriko stood up. The idea of having a Digimon looking like Gabumon was beginning to grow on her. Gabumon wasn't pretty, but he certainly was neat. "How would I get him? I mean, how would I get my Punimon to turn into something like him?"

"Well, first wait until your Punimon becomes bigger by itself. It will 'grow up' into a Tsunomon. You then can use your D-3 to help make Tsunomon Digivolve into Gabumon."

"My D-3?" Noriko asked. "Oh, you mean this thing." She reached down and unclipped from her pants belt the Digivice she had received with Punimon, then showed it to Matt. "We were told to always keep these things on us, that we weren't to take them off or lose them. Why are they so important?"

"Well, Noriko, the devices, both the old-style one I and some of the others have as well as the D-3's are used to help a Digimon, specifically your partner Digimon, Digivolve to protect you or fight other Digimon. That's why it's so important you don't lose it."

"Oh, OK... cool." Noriko said, looking over the D-3 in her hands before reattaching it to the belt. She walked over to Gabumon and examined him as she had done to Gatomon. "You're a neat Digimon, you know that?" she said after she finished.

Gabumon flushed a deep red and made a goofy grin. "Gee, I didn't know I was so neat." he said, trying to hide his red cheeks.

"I'll say he's neat!" piped up the young boy Noriko had been sitting next to.

"He's just weird. He doesn't even look like a real animal!" countered another girl about Noriko's age standing nearby.

"Keiko! Don't be like that! I agree with Takashi and Noriko, he's cool!" stated another, older boy with dark brown hair.

"All right, guys enough!" Matt said. "Have any of you introduced yourself to Noriko yet?"

"Well, no..." Keiko said, with an ashamed look. She then proceeded to do so for the three to Noriko: "I'm Keiko. The little boy with light brown hair is Takashi, and the older boy is Hiroshi."

"I'm pleased to met all of you, but are you going to ask a ton of question about the spore like the others?" Noriko asked.

"What makes you think we're going to ask you questions? We all know what the Spore was like." Hiroshi replied.

"But... you know..."

"Look, if you don't want to talk about it, then we won't ask you questions. Matt's already told us we shouldn't bug you about it." Keiko added.

"Really?" Noriko said, looking hopefully at Keiko.

"Sure! If you don't want to answer the questions, then we won't ask them."

"Oh, that's good. I thought that you were going to pester me like the other kids did when I came in the door."

"Nah, we won't do that." Hiroshi stated with a reassuring smile.

"OK... hey, wait a minute. Aren't we all the ones that said our dreams back at the battle?" Noriko asked.

Keiko laughed. "Yeah, that's what's so funny about all of us being right here and now." she stated. "I noticed that it was you and me and Hiroshi and Takashi. That's why the three of us were all together before you showed up."

"Oh, that's neat, I guess. So, are we going to exchange email addresses or something?"

"Well, none of us have our own email address, but we can give you phone numbers if you want."

Noriko consented, and got out a scrap piece of paper from somewhere in her pants pocket. Each of the other three kids wrote phone numbers on the paper scrap, then Noriko took the paper and put it back in her pants pocket.

"Everyone having fun over here?" Kari asked as she approached the scene, Gatomon walking alongside.

"Oh, yes!" Noriko replied to Kari, grinning from ear-to-ear. This was the first time she had felt good about her future in weeks.

"Good. So I presume you will be looking to Matt for advice, Noriko?"

"Well, yeah, I suppose, if I'm gonna have the same Digimon he has."

"That's because Matt is supposed to be 'care support', someone you can contact whenever you want an answer about what to do in a situation. In the same way, I'll be 'dream support'; I'll help you be a teacher as I learn myself."

"You mean, we'll learn together?"

"You could say that."

"Neat! Now, did I get...?" Noriko pondered. She quickly realized what she hadn't done and asked Matt for his phone number and email address. He gladly gave both, using the same scrap of paper the other kids had written on.

"OK, now I have all the information I need." Noriko finished.

"Great. Could you and Punimon come with us, please?" Kari asked.

"Why?"

"It's important. You just need to come with us into the other room."

Noriko wondered why in the world she would needed by Kari, but before she knew what she was doing she had scooped up Punimon and was already following Kari and Gatomon toward a door leading further into the building...

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All of them past a currently empty room and up some steps onto what looked like an improvised stage. Walking further back, she was lead into a curtained-off section "backstage". Behind those curtains, Kari and Gatomon got busy. Noriko was handed a pointer stick and a pair of glasses usually seen worn by adults, then was told to put the glasses on.

"What's all this for?" Noriko asked in confusion as she carefully put Punimon down and put the glasses on, shifting them out on her nose so that they didn't obscure her vision.

"Well, I thought that since tonight was the first night," Kari began to explain as she rummaging around for something, "it was important that all of the newer kids learned about Digimon, and you are going to help us do that."

"_Me_?!? But you can't be serious!" Noriko exclaimed. "I barely know anything about Digimon! How can I be a teacher?"

"Don't worry. Just follow the cue cards and you'll be fine."

"Cue cards?" Noriko asked with a critical look.

"Kari means these things." Gatomon stated, pulling out a stack of white, rectangular cardboard pieces.

Kari looked over and smiled with relief. "Good, I was getting worried that someone had forgotten to put those back here..." she said as she picked up the cardboard stack. As she check the order she continued with "You can help teach everybody, Noriko, and you can even use Punimon as an example!"

Noriko's face changed from suspicion to confusion. "Are you... sure about this?" she asked.

Kari smiled and give Noriko a good natured pat on the shoulder. "You'll be fine. Gatomon and I will be in the back with the cue cards, and Matt and Ken will be back here with you just in case you get stage fright, OK?"

Noriko pondered this for a minute, then said, "OK, if you're sure..."

"That's good. I need you and Punimon to stay back here until Matt calls you out. Gatomon and I have to help prepare for the presentation tonight. Just stay put, OK?"

"I guess..." Noriko said before Kari and Gatomon exited the curtained area, leaving Noriko and Punimon to their confused thoughts. Little did Noriko know what exactly Kari and the others have in mind for the building of her confidence...

**End of Part 1**


	2. Part 2

**Adventures of the Spore Kids**

**Episode 1: Noriko's New Life**

**Part 2**

Author's Notes: The song in the part comes from an actual song called "Change One Thing" written by YouTube member periurban for the OneTube user group.

7:30 pm, the "backstage" area...

Matt poked through the curtain, causing Noriko to stand to attention and breaking her stretch of boredom. He motioned her to come out, which she did, taking Punimon and the pointer she had been given with her. She followed him and Gabumon out onto the "stage" area, which was little more than a couple of slightly raised platforms laid on the floor. On the stage was a table and an easel holding a large pad of paper. To the right, in the audience area, Noriko nervously noted the gathering group in the room, being lead in through the door she had went through earlier.

"Don't let all of the others psych you out." Matt assured her. "Use the pointer to point to the words on the pad, and follow what the cue cards say. Kari will in the back holding them up for you. Try to make it look natural if you can. You'll be fine as long as you follow the cue cards."

"So... am I going first?" Noriko asked, wondering how long she would have to wait to do this...

"No, Ken does something first, then you go, then we're going to have a break while I pull out the speakers and such..."

"Speakers? Are you going to have a concert?" The idea of a special musical performance appealed to Noriko and temporarily dulled the nervous feelings she had...

"Yep! A private concert!"

"Wow! Can't wait!"

"I know. That's why I wanted to do it right after whatever Kari wanted you to do."

"So this was Kari's idea?"

"Mostly. I had to approve it, and Ken changed it a bit to make it work with what we could come up with quickly, but the core idea was essentially hers."

"Oh... so is that why she is concerned for me?"

"You share the same dream with her, and I think you are very lucky that you do."

"Why?"

Matt smiled. "You'll learn more with time, but what you can know now is that there is something extra-special about Kari and Gatomon, and you will be able to see it more than many people will. So count yourself lucky."

Noriko took a moment to let that sink in before smiling with reassurance. Meanwhile she and Punimon followed Matt and Gabumon back offstage while Ken and Wormmon took the stage...

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By this time, the entire group, both the newer kids and the older Digidestined, along with all the Digimon, had assembled in the room and were sitting in front of stage, obviously waiting for what was going to happen next. The crowd made Noriko nervous, but what was most on her attention was Ken and Wormmon, currently onstage.

He began his speech: "Hello, all of you. Thank you all for coming out tonight."

"Well, you're probably wondering why we called you all here. As you know, the Myotismon-controlled Oikawa made you a offer to be like me if you took the Spore, which you did. You also know what happened afterwards. Now we all have to live with what we saw and heard that New Year's Eve. I'm sure you have been scarred, possibly for life. I know I am..."

Ken turned very somber and continued: "Oikawa promised the spores would make you like me. Well, unfortunately, that coldness and cruel thoughts I'm sure you remember having was what I once was, even though I hid it very well..." Ken picked up a small remote laying nearby and used it to bring up some projected pictures. Noriko craned her neck to see the pictures...

Ken pressed the button multiple times and various newspaper pictures flashed by. "I'm sure you've seen at least some of these pictures. This was the 'superboy' image I gave out to the press, the celebrity I'm sure you were all familiar. Sadly, though, there was another side to me, a dark and cruel side I kept hidden from the public eye..." The picture changed to one of Ken in his old Digimon Emperor identity, causing most of the new kids, including Noriko, to gasp in surprise.

Ken's voice dropped noticeably, and he hung his head in shame. "This was me, as Myotismon drove me to be through my Spore." Ken quietly explained. "I claimed to be Emperor over the entire Digital World... I came up with horrible devices, the Dark Rings and Spirals, to enslave other Digimon... I mercilessly beat and whipped innocent Digimon into doing my bidding... I even built black obelisks called Control Spires to show that I dominated an area." Ken clicked explaining images past as he spoke, and Noriko was sobered at the magnitude of damage the Spore had done in him...

Ken, going only on the desire to get it all out, forced himself to continue: "Davis, Yolei, Cody, T.K., Kari... they we're originally called to fight against me. Eventually I was confronted by evil that I couldn't control, and... I almost lost everything. My own Digimon, Wormmon, had to turn against what Myotismon made me before 'the Emperor' was finally defeated and the hold of both the Spore and Myotismon broken. But I went through terrible agony and guilt over what I had done, and for a while I thought I would never see my name cleaned. I wish it hadn't taken victimizing you as well before the truth was revealed, for now we are all victims." Tears trickled down his cheeks as he spoke, and Noriko felt like crying as well...

"I have been broken in two by what happened, and I'm sure you have as well." Ken plainly spoke. "We were all deceived and led into evil by Myotismon, and the scars I am sure will be for life. We have all been hurt, and that will not change. We can't change our past, however, we can change our future. This is why we are all here: to help each other and to make our futures better for each other."

Noriko's feeble determination to do her part well was strengthened, somewhat surprisingly, by Ken's last couple of sentences. She, as well as the other kids, now realized why there was such concern and sympathy, and Noriko's attitude about her part to play changed from one of hesitation to one of willingness to try. Her confidence suddenly increased, and she was now more willing to play teacher...

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Now Ken introduced Noriko as a "teacher" for the rest of them, and Matt gently pushed her out onstage. Noriko looked out to the crowd and nervously gulped, but determinately pressed on, placing Punimon on the small table nearby and showing the pointer in her hand.

She looked back to see Kari waving at her, holding up the first cue card. Nervously, Noriko began speaking and following the directions on the cue cards: "Hello... I'm here to teach you something about Digimon." she said. She flipped up the first sheet, showing the one beneath it, which was covered with various facts on Digimon. Using the pointer, she pointed out each fact as she followed the reading on the cue cards: "Digimon are living, breathing creatures composed of digital data brought to life by a person's dreams and hopes, amongst other things... Digimon generally start as eggs in the Primary Village in the Digital World and eventually hatch into small baby Digimon like Punimon... Digimon over time will naturally Digivolve into more powerful and usually larger forms, gaining more abilities and power each time this happens."

Noriko turned another page. She was slowly becoming more confident in her ability to "teach", so she spoke less hesitantly than before: "Digimon, despite their diversity in appearance and attitude, are **not** to be considered as pets or just wild animals. Whenever possible, they are to be treated like humans, and their opinions are **not** to be ignored or disrespected. This particularly applies to your partner Digimon..."

Another flip of the page: "The D-3's we were given are intended to be used to help our partner Digimon Digivolve temporarily to protect us. Eventually, our baby Digimon will Digivolve once to a more 'grown-up' form, but the D-3 will be required for further Digivolutions in case of protection, at least in the short-term. When the time comes further instruction will be given on this."

Yet another page flipped over: "Digimon can be as unpredictable as humans, and are often not afraid to speak their mind about a situation. Consider all such opinions with an open mind, but do make an effort to restrain irrational or uncontrolled outbursts as well as rash actions. Also, do make an effort to properly feed and care for them, particularly young baby Digimon, though they can sometimes care for themselves if you can't."

One more page flipped over. Now, Noriko was feeling confident in what she was doing that her stage fright had dissipated, and now she was smiling a little bit as well: "You are to follow the advice of any experienced Digidestined that offers it, unless it is clearly hurtful either physically or mentally. Over the next couple of weeks, various Digidestined will approach you and offer to become either or both 'Digimon care support' and 'dream support'. It is advised to accept any offers because the ones making the offering have insight into either what the Digimon will be like ('care support') or has a common dream ('dream support')."

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Ken returned back onstage, said thank you to Noriko for her efforts, and then asked everyone to remain in the room while they got set up for the special performance. Noriko walked offstage, not sure how good a job she did...

"You did great! Really you did!" Matt commented as he started prepping.

Noriko smirked. "Yeah, I guess..."

"What, did you expect to get applause or something?" Matt asked.

Noriko shrugged. "Well... maybe... something would've been nice..."

"Don't worry about it too much. Remember, everyone has a first time doing something like this, even me." Matt said through a smile.

Noriko smiled a little bit in response, but the "what ifs" nagged at her mind. However, she didn't have much time to think about it because just a few moments later Kari and Gatomon, ran onto the stage, grinning ear-to-ear.

"You we're wonderful!" Kari gushed. "I knew you could do it once you got started!"

"Yep. You were absolutely purrrfect!" Gatomon added in a feline roll.

Noriko rolled her eyes at the atrocious pun, but deep down she wondered if there was some truth to what they were saying. "Really? Is that what you both think?" she cautiously asked.

"Of course. You have potential, you really do." Kari answered.

"Yeah?" Noriko asked hopefully.

"Yep. And we can learn to teach together, won't that be fun!"

Noriko smirked, then nodded. It _could _be fun, learning to be a teacher...

"Now, why don't you and Punimon go sit down with the other kids? I have to help Matt with his show now, OK?"

"OK. Thanks, Kari." Noriko said as she rushed off, Punimon bouncing after her.

Once settled in place, she heard various other kids, including her three new friends, give various compliments, show how impressed they were with her performance, even apologize for asking her those questions earlier, but Noriko only passively listened to them. She was most concentrating on the voices she heard on the inside, the voices saying "I **can** do this, I **will** do this, I **should** do this!", the voices making her feel good inside...

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8:00 pm, room with the stage...

Everyone in the room, both human and Digimon, was quiet with anticipation of Matt's private concert, the first he had done with anyone since the Digimon crashed the Christmas concert of his band. Noriko was particularly excited...

Matt strolled out onstage, Gabumon walking along beside. Matt sat down in the chair in the middle of the stage, picking up his guitar leaning on the chair and plugged into the improvised sound system which apparently consisted of two speakers, one positioned on each side of the stage.

Matt picked up a wireless microphone and spoke into it: "I'm sure you're all excited to hear me play. This isn't just going to me be solo, though. Some of what are now your mentors and advisers will be up here with me, singing and dancing along."

At this point, Ken and Wormmon came onstage as well, and Ken took the microphone from Matt. Ken then spoke into the microphone: "OK, this song that we're going to do is called 'Change One Thing'. I think it is a very appropriate song for this situation, so that's what song we will do."

The lights dimmed, and Matt began to play an upbeat and very bouncy melody, one that set Noriko and most of the other kids into bobbing back and forth where they were sitting. After a few seconds, Ken himself began to sing:

"When you're all alone / And the world won't listen / You're in the heartbreak zone / And someone good is missin'. / And you can't heal / The wounds that bleed / No one can feel / The things you need to feel."

The song continued into another verse: "Along the road / Many people stumble / Young and old / Down the hill they tumble / Like Jack and Jill / Pails of blood red water / Searching still / Father, son and daughter..."

At this point, Matt joined in, singing the chorus with Ken: "We can't change everything / We can change one thing, we can change one thing / We can't change everything / We can change one thing, we can change one thing."

After this, Matt launched into a solo rift. While Matt worked the guitar, Noriko and the other kids watching saw several others dance onto the stage. Davis, Veemon, T.K. and Patamon made their way to Matt and Gabumon while Kari and Gatomon went to Ken. Ken and Kari briefly mirrored each other in their dancing, then Ken continued the song, seeming to address Kari while she danced nearby:

"There is a crowd / Why do they gather here/ Not to laugh out loud / To find some refuge from the fear / Why stick around / If all you do / Is bring each other down/ 'Cos me and you / We're headed / For that higher ground!"

The chorus started again. Davis, T.K. and Kari now joined Matt and Ken in singing the chorus, and by now everyone watching was clapping hands and bobbing to the beat: "We can't change everything / We can change one thing, we can change one thing / We can't change everything / We can change one thing, we can change one thing." This was repeated twice, then Matt launched into a extended solo, also standing up and really showing off his guitar moves!

Everyone was now dancing merrily, and even the baby Digimon were bouncing up and down with joy. Noriko was certainly enjoying herself, and she watched the other kids and the Digimon dance it up on the stage, she felt she was going to have lots of good times with those older boys and girls, as well as the Digimon.

And she was willing to commit herself to learning to teach others, to accept the advice of Matt and Kari. It certainly seemed to be a rocky, bumpy road ahead, but at least she wasn't going to do it alone. She had friends that she could lean on, and for now it was everything she wanted...

**The End**


End file.
